Spot's Beginning
by LucyOfNarnia
Summary: A tale of leaving a place where I learned to run cause I had to run from every newsboy around. And how I ran into the leader of Brooklyn, who gave me my nickname. I'm Spot Conlon, and if you read this and tell anyone..I might just have to soak you.


_Note: Just a little one shot I put together for Firefly's Spot On Contest. Also, I know he's not very Spot like at the beginning, but he's only ten here, and he's just becoming the person he is in Newsies. This may branch into other one shots eventually. Hope you like it!_

I counted out the money from the emergency jar. There was only about a dollar. I fingered the money, and took a few pennies, slipping them into my pocket.

I placed my gray cabby cap on my head. It was slightly big as it had belonged to my father. I hesitated before leaving the apartment. I returned to the pallet I had slept on and picked up the slingshot my father had made for my tenth Birthday. Tears blurred my vision, and I hurriedly wiped them away with the back of my hand.

_Men don't cry, _I thought to myself angrily. I was the man of the family now. I had to be strong.

With this resolve, I placed the slingshot in my back pocket, and then put on my shoes that had very thin soles, and opened the door to leave.

"Dev?" I stopped at my seven year old sister's voice. "Where are you going?" I spun around and clasped the girl three years my junior. How could I do this?

"Shh Daisy. You don't wanna wake Ma. She needs her rest, workin' in the factory and all."

"Where are you going?" she asked again, quieter this time.

"Away," I replied evasively.

Tears began to roll down Daisy's dirty face.

"But Dev, you promised."

"I know Dais, that's why I have to go." I turned to leave.

"You can't leave like he did." I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Daisy.."

"He promised too. He promised to take care of us. He promised he wouldn't ever go."

"Daisy, he didn't mean for anything to happen. He's in Heaven now. He kept his promise while he could." The younger girl's eyes flashed.

"Then you said, 'Don't worry Dais, I'll always be there for you.' But now your leaving too."

"I'll be coming back though Daisy."

"When?" she asked, her eyes once again filling with tears.

"I dunno. But I am. Bye Daisy."

My heart nearly broke as I left the doorway. Daisy stood there in her little bare feet with a dirty tear streaked face. As I left the hall I turned to see her once more, and she raised her hand in a farewell. I blinked rapidly to keep more tears from coming out of my eyes. I had to be strong.

When I reached the bottom floor, and left the safe apartment for the Bronx streets, a chilly wind was blowing. Ignoring the fact that I didn't own a jacket, I rubbed my arms, and started off down the street.

Bronx at night was eerie at smallest, and terrifying at greatest. I tried to stay closer to the shadowy places, hoping to not gain any unwanted attention. The wolves were out tonight. I could hear the silly songs, and cursing of the drunks. I heard the shouting of a young man. Maybe they were paperboys.

I had tried to be a paperboy, but in the Bronx, around every corner was someone threatening to beat you up, or trying to steal your papers. I was good at evading such attempts, but they gave me so little rest, I made little money in a day. I wanted to go somewhere I could learn to fight, not just run. Nobody in the Bronx would help me, so I had to go somewhere else. And I knew just where. In that place I would send money home to my mother and sister. And things would get better.

"Well what do we have here?" I jumped, and the realization hit me that in my ponderings I had wandered out of the shadows, and into the light of a street lamp. Before I could move, and hand shoved me back against the iron pole, and I gasped for breath, and tried to make out who my attacker was. He was tall and lean, and when I caught sight of his face, my heart seemed to drop into my stomach.

"Hammer."

"That's right," the blond said, sneering into my face. "I thought I told you to keep yoar stinkin' hide outta my territory."

"Last I checked we lived in a free country," I shot back, regretting it when he lifted me off my feet. I happened to glance over his shoulder and see Fist, his 'second in command' you might say. I sent him a cold glare, and he angrily started forward.

"Let's take this to an alley," he spat. Hammer agreed, and the almost full grown boys dragged me into the nearest available one. When Hammer shoved me against the alley wall, I pulled my slingshot and a rock from my pocket.

"Well isn't that a nice little toy," Fist said sarcastically as I pointed it at him. I aimed to shoot him in the forehead, but it hit his shoulder instead. I was the first time I had gotten the chance to use the slingshot, and, while I didn't get my rock where I intended it to go, It freed one of Fist's hand's from off of me so he could rub his shoulder. I bit down on Hammer's hand, and before he could swing a punch ducked under his leg, ran out of the alley and off down the street.

I was aware of the pounding feet and curses behind me, but I wasn't much worried about being caught. I was used to running from a lot of people, and when you run a lot, you seem to get better at it. Still, I kept running, even when I heard Hammer and Fist stop at the Bronx outskirts. I kept on running. Then I reached Brooklyn, but still I ran.. until I ran straight into someone.

"Hey, hold it kid," The person I had just pounded into said. "Where you headed?" I eyed the guy distrustfully. He looked to be about fifteen, and wore an expression I couldn't read.

"Here I guess. Just trying to find the Newsboy's Lodging House." I might as well tell him. From the boy's build he looked like he could cause some pain, and indeed, he stood in a protective stance.

"Well I says who gets into Brooklyn, and who don't." He eyed the slingshot in my hand. I hadn't let go of it since starting my run.

"You any good with that kid?" I shrugged. I thought I might be pretty good, considering on my first try I had actually hit someone.

"Come on," the guy said, tilting his head. "This way to the lodging house."

We walked along in silence for a while, I could tell he was measuring me up, considering.

"What were you running from?" he finally asked.

"Some jerks trying to rough me up." He eyed my appearance.

"You don't look too bad off." I shrugged again.

"I'm a fast runner. But I want to learn how to fight," I said, glancing out of the corner of my eye at the boy. I thought maybe he'd make a good teacher. He saw my look, and glanced at me, amused.

"Look kid, I'll tell you what. You stay in Brooklyn for the next five years working for me. All that time I'll teach you how to fight proper.. and we'll see how well you can work that slingshot." I stared at the older boy, surprised.

"Why would you wanna help me for so little?"

"You got spirit. I like you," he replied simply. "Oh, and kid, I'm Silver. Whatta they call you?"

"My name's Devin," I offered. He acted as if he hadn't heard me.

"I was thinking that Spot would work good for you."

"Spot?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, cause you ran into me, and you was running just as fast as this dog I used to know. He was named Spot."

"Oh."


End file.
